With a recent trend for installing a display device, i.e., a monitor, in a car to allow a passenger to watch TV or video and enjoy a game in the car, various AV systems equipped with display devices are mounted in the car.
Such AV systems are implemented by appropriately combining a liquid crystal display of a touch screen type, a video system, an audio system, a CD changer, a navigation system, a DVD player, a satellite broadcasting set-top box, and the like, and are endowed with diversified and improved functions to support Internet, wireless telecommunications, voice recognition and character-voice conversion, etc., in addition to a function to do navigation.
However, most of the AV systems for a car are installed in the car by an ‘on-dash’ type or an ‘in-dash’ type mounting scheme. With regard to the on-dash type scheme, an AV system is secured/coupled on a dashboard of a car. In the in-dash type scheme, on the other hand, the AV system is installed inside the dashboard and a monitor is projected upward when a power button is pressed.
However, since such mounting methods for the car AV system is more complicated than those for the installation of general household AV systems, general users other than experts have many difficulties in installing the car AV systems, and have to get it done by, for example, an AV system service agent. Furthermore, such mounting methods are disadvantages in that they cannot satisfy the increasing demand to install a large-size liquid crystal display not smaller than 7-inch in the car.
Accordingly, systems for carrying and detachably mounting the AV systems in the car have been utilized, and one example of such systems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,705, entitled “SELF-CONTAINED CASE FOR HOUSING TRANSPORTING AND MOUNTING VIDEO MONITOR AND VIDEO PLAYER FOR USE IN PASSENGER VEHICLES”, which is filed on Jan. 25, 1999.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a mounting system that is secured inside the car, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,705. The mounting system allows entertainment video accessories to be detachably and securely mounted inside the car. The mounting system includes a rectangular case 10 elongated in a vertical direction, for housing video accessories; and quick connect members 20 for detachably securing the case 10 to a seat of the car.
A front panel 16 and a mesh side panel 12 connected to each other by a zipper are attached to the case 10 to open or close an upper and a lower portion of the case 10, respectively. The mesh side panel 12 can be moved outwardly at a predetermined angle in order to allow the passenger to access the video accessories easily. An image reproducing device 3 is mounted inside the mesh side panel 12 and a display device 4 is mounted to an upper inner portion of the case 10 via a mounting unit 14 to receive signals from the image reproducing device 3. By folding back the front panel 16, the upper portion of the case 10 is opened and the display device 4 is exposed.
The quick connect members 20 are detachably connected and fastened at positions close to all of the internal floor, a first headrest 1 and a second headrest 2 of the car.
However, carrying the case 10 is not convenient because of its long length and there is likelihood that the accessories accommodated in the case 10 are damaged while it is being carried. Moreover, it is rather troublesome and time-consuming to open the front panel 16 that covers the upper and the lower portion of the case 10.